Routine
by gm13lumos
Summary: Hermione Granger falls out of her routine and into an unusual interaction with Draco Malfoy.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I've been trying really hard to get back into writing. I've missed it a great deal. This popped into my head and wouldn't let me go until I wrote it. Unbetaed so apologies for the inevitable misspellings and typos. Hope you like it!

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Over the last two years, Hermione Granger had fallen into a routine. Every day she went to the same bakery for a muffin and a tea for breakfast. It was on her way to work at the Ministry, the line always moved quickly, and the owners were a mother/daughter duo who always made her smile. Elle did all the baking and Aubrey worked at the cash register. At 8:45 a.m. on the dot Hermione would walk in, she would wait for a minute or two in line, spend a minute or two talking to Aubrey as she rung her out, then Hermione went on her way and arrived at the Ministry by 9 a.m. But one Monday, Hermione Granger found herself standing in front of bakery, stunned. On the door there was a sign that simply read "closed." Closed. Unsure of what to do, Hermione stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes gaping at the sign and trying to figure out what to do.

"You know, there are other places for breakfast," came a voice from behind her.

Hermione turned and, when she saw who was speaking to her, quickly closed her mouth.

"Malfoy," she greeted him, stiffly, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

"Granger," he greeted her, politely. "I know a place nearby."

"That's okay," Hermione replied, her tone the same. "I'll just have a large lunch."

Before he could respond, Hermione turned away and walked quickly down the street. She hadn't seen him since Hogwarts, she realized, when they had both returned to repeat their final year. She had been shocked to see him there and half expected that he would return to his usual bullying ways. But he didn't say a word to her the entire school year. He didn't say a word to anyone really, she remembered. He had merely kept to himself, done all his work, and disappeared immediately after the graduation ceremony. She hadn't seen him or heard anything about him since. Making a mental note to ask Harry if he knew what Malfoy had been up to, she walked into the Ministry. She stepped into the elevator and, looking at her watch, realized she was late to work. The elevator opened on the Auror Department floor and she quickly made her way to the research analyst unit's office and sat down her desk. Noting that she was the only Auror in her unit there, she settled into reading one of the large tomes on dark magic that she had left on her desk. She was so engrossed in her reading, she didn't notice that someone was standing in front of her desk until they threw a piece of paper at her head. Hermione looked up, a little dazed, but her face broke out into a grin when she saw who it was.

"Hi Harry," she said, smiling at her best friend.

"Hey Hermione," Harry replied, returning her smile. "I'm meeting Pansy and Ron for lunch, want to come?"

Hermione involutarily scrunched her nose at hearing Pansy's name. Pansy and Ron had started dating a few months before after meeting at some event. Hermione knew Ron liked the girl but Hermione still wasn't sure about her.

"You can say no," Harry told her, laughing at the face she had made. "I'm already forcing Ginny to come along. Plus it's only noon and I know you prefer to wait until 12:30 p.m. for your lunch."

"I think I'll pass this time," Hermione answered, a bit relieved that Harry had given her an out. "I need to get some more work done. Tell everyone I said hello!"

"Will do," Harry replied, giving her a salute as he walked away from her desk.

Once Harry had gone, Hermione settled back into reading. She stayed there until her stomach began to growl angrily. Looking up from the book at the clock on the wall, she realized it was 2:15 p.m.. Hermione closed the book and grabbed her things. She walked out of the office, stepped into the elevator, and walked out of the Ministry. She paused, however, when she stepped outside of the Ministry, realizing that her favorite lunch place closed at 2. With a frown, she began to walk in the opposite direction that she normally did, pondering where she wanted to go for lunch. Deciding that she still wanted the comfort of eating somewhere she was familiar with, she walked toward the alley that led to Muggle London. With a quick tap on the bricks, she emerged in another alley and began walking toward her favorite sandwich shop. She was stopped on the street corner, watching as the cars whizzed by, when all of a sudden she felt lightheaded. She tried to steady herself on the lamp post but it was just far enough away that when she went to lean on it, she nearly toppled over. In fact, she would have fallen if a strong pair of arms hadn't caught her. Dazed, Hermione allowed the person to pull her to her feet. Realizing her eyes were shut, she forced her eyes open and stared into the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he demanded, shaking her a little.

"I'm fine," Hermione said, pulling out of his arms and taking a step back. "I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," he bit back, angrily. "You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine," Hermione repeated, putting a hand to her head as she swayed. "I just need to grab lunch."

"Idiot," Draco muttered, stepping towards her.

Hermione instinctively moved to take a step back but her step back resulted in her nearly stepping off the curb. Draco grabbed her arms forcefully and pulled her away from the edge of the sidewalk.

"Smartest witch my ass," he growled, earning weird looks from the muggles around them. "I bet you haven't eaten today at all. Come on."

Before Hermione could argue, she found herself being dragged through the crowds. A moment later, she found herself seated at in a booth at the back of a pub, with a scowling Draco across from her. When the waiter came over, Draco barked out an order and sent the waiter scuttling away. Draco then slid out of the booth, walked over to the bar, and returned a moment later with peanuts. He forcefully slid them in front of her.

"Eat," he ordered. "The food will be here shortly."

More than a little stunned, Hermione found herself complying. As she munched on the peanuts, she stared at Draco. He looked the same, she mused. A little older but mostly the same. But he had helped her, she thought. And he was in Muggle London. So maybe something about him was different too.

The waiter returned with two waters, setting them down quickly before fleeing away.

"Here," Draco said, sliding the water to her.

Hermione finished chewing the peanutes she was eating and drank down the water before speaking.

"Thank you," she said, quietly, looking Draco directly in the eyes. "You probably saved my life when you kept me from falling into the street."

"It's nothing," he replied, dismissively.

"No it isn't," Hermione told him, popping another peanut into her mouth. "You have no reason to help me but you did. So thank you."

"Consider us even then," Draco answered, pulling his gaze away from her and looking down at the table.

"Even?" Hermione asked, perplexed.

"A life for a life," he replied, his tone quieter and softer.

Hermione cocked her head and stared at him, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Before she could ask him, the waiter brought over their food. Hermione thanked him and gave him a smile as he quickly fled from their table. She looked down and saw that Draco had ordered them both Guinness beef stew. Draco dug into his without a word and Hermione began to eat as well. They sat there in silence for several minutes before Hermione couldn't contain her curiosity anymore.

"What do you mean by that?" Hermione asked, nuding Draco's hand when he didn't immediately answer. "What do you mean by a life for a life?"

"I know what you did," Draco replied, after a minute of silence. "After the war. Potter told me a few weeks back when we were out for drinks."

Hermione felt her jaw drop, trying to process not only that Draco knew what she had done but that Harry had been the one to tell him and that they had gone out for drinks together. She latched onto the easiest bit to process first.

"You and Harry went out for drinks?"

"Against my will," Draco replied, with a half laugh. "I was working with his unit on a case and after we closed it, apparently that called for celebratory drinks."

"What do you do?" Hermione wanted to know, nudging him again.

This time he looked up at her. "I work in the forensics unit. In the laboratory."

Hermione, stunned, simply stared at him for a moment. "You work in the forensics unit?" she repeated. "The forensics unit that uses muggle technology alongside wizarding technology to process evidence."

"That's the one," Draco replied, smirking at her. "Shocked, Granger? We are in a pub in muggle London after all."

"Yes," Hermione answered, honestly. "That's the last place I would have expected you to be. Though I guess running into you here is too."

"Surely you can see why and how my outlook on muggles may have changed," he said, his voice lowering but his eyes staying on hers.

"Of course," Hermione told him, reaching across the table and grabbing his hand. "Of course I can."

Draco looked down at her hand touching his and Hermione pulled back.

"Sorry," she muttered, picking her spoon back up and going back to her stew.

"So you can see what I mean then," Draco said, carefully.

Hermione looked up from her food and saw him staring intently at her.

"When I say, a life for a life." He finished.

"Malfoy," she said with a sigh. "Speaking to the Wizenmagot after the war ended didn't save your life. Your mother saved your life when she helped Harry."

"I was at that hearing, Granger," he reminded her. "You didn't have to say anything at all. But you stood on that stand and you told them that, in spite of everything I had done to you, you believed that I could change. You asked them to give me the opportunity to live my life."

"You were a child," she answered, kindly, resisting the urge to reach back across the table.

"So were you," he countered. "You still chose the right side."

"There was never another side for me to chose," she said, simply. "Nor was there for you. Did I want you to be held accountable for what you did? Absolutely. But going to Azkaban for the rest of your life wouldn't have accomplished that. You just needed a chance."

"And you made sure I got that chance," Draco told her. "A life for a life. Thank you for mine."

Hermione found herself at a loss for words at that and, instead of responding, simply smiled back at him. Draco resumed eating and, after a moment, Hermione did too. They finished their food in companionable silence. When the bill came, Draco insisted on paying and Hermione relented. Together, they slid out of the booth and walked out of the pub. Without a word, they began walking in the direction of the alley that would take them back to Wizarding London.

"Thank you," Hermione said, breaking the silence. "For lunch. And for catching me."

"You're welcome," Draco replied, giving her a small smile.

"So you and Harry spent time together without killing one another?" she asked, with a grin.

Draco's small smile bloomed into a large one. "Just the one time, Granger," he told her. "I wouldn't hold out for more than that. Weasley on the other hand…"

"You've spent time with Ron?!" Hermione exclaimed. "He never mentioned it!"

"Pansy is one of my oldest friends," Draco pointed out. "She forces me to be social and, as of late, being social includes spending time with Weasley. Which is incredibly strange if you ask me."

Hermione laughed out loud. "It is, isn't it?" she said, smiling at him. "I never would have put those two together."

"Neither would I," Draco replied with a shrug. "But they seem happy enough."

"They do, I suppose," Hermione said, thoughtfully.

They continued to chat amiably until they reached the front entrance of the Ministry. Hermione stopped when Draco didn't immediately walk into the building.

"Coming?" Hermione asked, confused.

"I have a training back in Muggle London," Draco replied, sheepishly.

"Why on earth did you come all the way back here then?" Hermione wanted to know.

"I needed the exercise," Draco lied, grinning when Hermione raised an eyebrow at his response.

"Are you going to Pansy's birthday party on Saturday night?" Draco asked, stepping towards Hermione.

"I was going to skip it," Hermione told him, suddenly hyper-aware of how close to her he was.

"You should go," Draco said, casually, his face only a few inches from hers. "We can make fun of the pair of them together."

"I think I'd like that," Hermione replied, leaning in towards Draco.

"Have a good rest of your day at work, Granger," Draco said, leaning in and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Hermione felt her breath hitch at the contact and stood in front of the Ministry for a few minutes, watching Draco walk away from her. She felt a small smile stretch across her face as she thought about seeing him in a few days. Her thoughts were interrupted by someone calling her name.

"Yes?" she said, turning in the direction of the voice.

"What are you doing?" Hannah Abbott asked her, looking curiously at her Hermione. "It's nearly 4 pm and you're always at your desk until at least 6 pm."

"I'm a bit out of my routine," Hermione replied, smiling to herself.

Hannah gave her a puzzled look but began to walk alongside her as Hermione made her way back to their office. As Hermione sat back down at her desk she found herself smiling again, looking forward to the weekend.

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A/N: So there it is! I'm thinking of writing more so if you're interested, let me know! xx


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Ask and you shall receive.

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On Saturday evening, Hermione's bedroom looked like a cyclone had passed through it and she stood in the middle of the room in her underwear with her hands on her head. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out what to wear to Pansy's party. Hermione let out a frustrated groan, her fourth in the last 20 minutes, and dropped onto her bed. She was going to have to ask for help, Hermione realized. She threw on a robe and quickly went into her living room. She placed a quick Floo call and, not thirty seconds later, Ginny Weasley came flying out of Hermione's fireplace.

"I'm sorry, I think I heard wrong," Ginny began, looking at Hermione with glee in her eyes. "Did you tell me you NEED HELP CHOOSING AN OUTFIT?!"

"This was a bad idea," Hermione said, backing away from Ginny. "I'll just find something."

"Nooooooo!" Ginny exclaimed. "I've been begging you to let me dress you for our entire friendship. Let me have this moment. Don't take it away from me!"

"Fine," Hermione relented, laughing at the joy that lit Ginny's face at her acquiescence. "But you can't go crazy! It's just a birthday party."

"I know exactly what you need to wear," Ginny told her. "I'll be right back."

Ginny disappeared into the fireplace and Hermione dropped onto her couch, rubbing her temples. She loved Ginny but she was slightly terrified to see what Ginny would bring back. She didn't have to wait long to find out. A few minutes later, Ginny was back in her living room holding a black garment bag.

"I brought options!" Ginny explained, when Hermione gave her a questioning look. "I wasn't sure what you would agree to wear."

"Agree to wear and want to wear are not the same thing," Hermione pointed out.

"Sure they are!" Ginny smiled. "Want to see?"

"Yes," Hermione replied, smiling back. "Let's go into my room."

Ginny grinned with barely contained glee and skipped to Hermione's room. Hermione followed, shaking her head. Ginny hung the garment back on Hermione's bedroom door and slipped the zipper down.

"Okay, close your eyes," Ginny told her, as Hermione sat down on her bed.

Hermione closed her eyes and listened as Hermione pulled the first dress out of the garment bag.

"Okay, open!"

Hermione opened her eyes and promptly slid from the bed to the floor. Ginny was holding a tiny strapless golden sequence dress with cut outs on the sides. Hermione opened her mouth, closed it, opened it again, and closed it again. Before she could say anything, Ginny began cackling laughing.

"You…should…see…your…face…!" she wheezed, doubling over laughing. "Oh man!"

"You're joking?" Hermione asked, hopefully.

"Oh…yeah…," Ginny managed to get out through her peals of laughter.

"Thank goodness," Hermione breathed.

"I know you," Ginny said, her laughter subsiding. "I would never make you wear this."

"Thank you," Hermione replied. "Okay, so what do you actually have for me to wear?"

"Two options," Ginny told her. "But I think one is actually perfect. Trust me?"

"In spite of what you just did to me, yes," Hermione said, with a laugh.

Ginny pulled a dark red dress out of the bag. It was simple, hugging the bust and flaring out at the waist. Hermione took the dress from Ginny, who helped her slip into it. Ginny zipped the dress, clapping her hands when Hermione turned to face her.

"You look wonderful," Ginny told her. "Stilleto heels?"

"Ginny…,"

"Just thought I'd ask!" Ginny said, throwing her hands in the air. "Wear those short black heled boots I bought you and it'll be perfect."

"Thank you, Gin," Hermione said, giving her a hug.

"You're welcome!" Ginny replied, hugging her back. "Can I ask you a question though?"

"Of course," Hermione said, pulling back from Ginny.

"Why do you care what you look like for the party tonight?" Ginny asked, curiously.

"Well, uh, you know, I don't want to embarrass Ron," Hermione stuttered out.

When Ginny raised one eyebrow, Hermione gave a weak smile in response.

"Well whatever the reason, you're going to look fantastic," Ginny said, giving Hermione's hand a squeeze. "I'll see you in a couple hours. Still planning to come to our place for a drink before the party?"

"Yes, see you there," Hermione replied. "And thanks again, Gin."

"Love you," Ginny answered. "See you in a bit."

Hermione smiled as Ginny walked out of her room with the garment bag over her arm. Hermione slipped out of the dress and hung it on a hanger on the back of the door to her bedroom. She quickly jumped in the shower, taking the time to wash and comb out her hair. She wrapped herself in a towel and stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom as she worked the hair potion Ginny had bought her months before through her hair. The potion would leave her curls as wild as ever but without the frizz that normally accomplanied it. Leaving her hair to dry naturally, Hermione checked the clock and saw that dealing with her hair had taken much longer than she anticipated. She quickly got dressed, sliding on the boots as Ginny had instructed, and giving herself a quick once over in the mirror. Satisfied with how she looked, she grabbed her black coat and quickly flooed to Harry and Ginny's apartment. She stepped out to see Harry and Ginny wrapped in a passionate kiss.

"I can come back," she said, loudly.

Ginny and Harry broke apart quickly, both flushed.

"Hermione, hi, you're here," Ginny said, wiping her mouth.

"Yes I am," Hermione replied, grinning at her friend.

"You look amazing, Hermione," Harry told her, giving her a hug. "Really amazing."

"Thanks!" Hermione replied. "Your girlfriend dressed me."

"You let Ginny dress you?" Harry asked, looking at her questioningly. "And you did something to your hair? Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?"

"I can mix it up sometimes," Hermione said, suddenly self conscious. "It isn't a big deal."

"No it isn't," Ginny said, taking pity on her friend. "You look great! We look great! Let's have a drink before we head to this dreadful party!"

"The party might be fun," Harry tried, earning a snort from both Hermione and Ginny.

"A party made up of Gryffindors and Slytherins, what could go wrong?" Ginny said, wickedly.

After a couple of drinks, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny left Grimmauld Place with the warmth of the alcohol fighting off the April chill. They apparated to Pansy's home, which was on a small part of what used to be the Parkinson estate. Pansy had inherited the estate when her parents were sent to Azkaban. Pansy herself had managed to get off with probation, which had ended right before she started dating Ron. She had gotten a job working for The Daily Prophet and sold most of the Parkinson estate. Hermione had no idea what Pansy had done with the money but she had to admit, the house was smaller than she expected. Small by what she assumed Pansy's standards were that is. As they approached the front door, Hermione could see into the large living room and she guessed there had to be at least three bedrooms on the second floor. Harry pushed opened the door, stepping inside and holding the door for Hermione and Ginny. The two girls stepped inside as well and were immediately enveloped in a hug.

"You made it!" Ron shouted directly into their ears.

"Yes, we did," Ginny said, as she and Hermione disentangled themselves from Ron.

"Thank you for coming," Pansy said, a small smile on her face.

"Happy birthday," Hermione told her, giving her a smile back.

"We brought you a present," Ginny said, handing Pansy a large bag Hermione didn't even notice her holding. "It's from all three of us."

"Thank you," Pansy said, clearly surprised. "Can I open it now?"

"Of course you can, Ron said, throwing his arm around Pansy, beaming down at her. "It's your birthday."

Pansy set the bag down on a small table in the hallway and pulled out two large bottles of champagne.

"You mentioned during lunch that your favorite brand of champagne was from a Muggle shop that you don't get to very often," Ginny explained, with a shrug. "I sent Harry to buy it. Perks of having a boyfriend who's an auror and comfortable with muggles."

"Thank you," Pansy said, quietly as a genuine smile crossed her face. "All of you. This is a wonderful present."

"Well done, Gin," Hermione whispered. "And thanks for including me."

"You owe me," Ginny whispered back, with a wink.

"I'm going to go hide this away," Pansy said, turning to Ron. "Will you show them into the bar?"

"There's a bar?" Harry asked, walking up next to Ron.

Hermione and Ginny linked arms, following behind Harry and Ron as Ron explained everything there was to do at the party. Hermione tried to subtly keep an eye out for the familiar blonde hair as they made their way through the room to the bar at the back. Once they reached the bar, Ron handed her some sort of punch and she turned to face the room. She scanned the room again, frowning when she didn't see Draco. Maybe she had misunderstood what he'd said. Ginny pulled her from her thoughts.

"Ron is going to give us a tour of Pansy's gardens, do you want to come?" Ginny asked.

"I think I'll stay here," Hermione told her. "Allergies."

"You sure?" Ginny asked. "I can stay so you're not by yourself."

"No, go," Hermione encouraged. "I think I see some people from work that I can talk to."

Ginny walked away and Hermione looked at the crowd again. She was so intent on what was going on in front of her, she didn't think to look behind her. Suddenly there was a hand on her shoulder and she whirled around, finding herself face to face with the man she'd been looking for. He was wearing dark slacks with a white button up tucked into them. He looked…fantastic, Hermione thought.

"Looking for me?" he asked, with a Cheshire cat grin.

"Looking for any company at all," she replied, grinning back at him. "But I suppose yours will do."

"You wound me, Granger," Draco answered, dramatically.

Hermione replied with a laugh. Looking very much at ease, Draco ordered a Firewhiskey from the bar and, after seeing what Hermione was holding, ordered a second. He took the punch from her hand and replaced it with the Firewhiskey. When she raised her eyebrow at him, he said

"Trust me, you don't want to drink the punch. Hangover waiting to happen."

"That's twice now that you've ordered something without actually asking me," Hermione pointed out.

"I won't make a habit of it," Draco promised, crossing his heart.

Hermione simply smiled back at him in response. He stood next to her, surveying the party, leaning in towards her every once in a while so their arms brushed. Pansy noticed them standing together and walked over to them.

"Now there's something I never thought I'd see," Pansy said, nodding to the two of them. "Shouldn't one of you be throwing a punch at the other?"

"I don't think my face could take it," Draco replied, grinning at Hermione who looked embarrassed.

"It was one time and you deserved it," Hermione muttered, fighting back a grin of her own.

"Granger, can I have a word with you alone?" Pansy asked.

Before Hermione could answer, Pansy had her by the arm and was firmly pulling her away from Draco. Pansy pulled Hermione into the kitchen and cast a quick silencing spell. The kitchen was eerily quiet without the noise of the party and Hermione stood her ground as Pansy stared at her.

"He likes you," Pansy said, after a long silence.

"We don't really know each other," Hermione replied, hesitantly, unsure of where this conversation might go.

"I've known him since we were babies," Pansy answered, dismissively. "He likes you."

When Hermione didn't answer, Pansy pressed on.

"I like you too," Pansy continued, holding up her hand when Hermione's mouth opened in surprise. "I know I was cruel to you in school and I know I can never take that back but I hope you know that I am incredibly sorry for how I treated you."

Hermione was stunned. But Pansy wasn't done.

"I really like Ron," Pansy told her. "A lot. And I know how important you are to him. It would mean a lot to him and to me if we could try to be friends. I was hoping that, since you seem to like Draco, you might have it in you to like me as well."

"Of course," Hermione said, finally finding her voice. "Of course."

"Thank you," Pansy replied, sincerely. "This feels like a moment where Gryffindors would hug. Is that right?"

"Yes," Hermione told her with a laugh. "But we can settle for just acknowledging this moment instead."

"Great," Pansy said, her voice relieved. "Let's go back out there before Draco thinks that I've done something to you."

Pansy removed the charm and the noise from the party flooded back into the kitchen. Pansy opened the kitchen door and nearly knocked it into Draco, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Much to everyone's surprise, Draco was the first person to get to Hermione.

"Are you okay?" he demanded.

"I'm fine," Hermione reassured him. "Just a bit of mild torture."

When her friends faces looked horrified, Pansy burst out laughing.

"My goodness, you lot need to get a sense of humor," Pansy told them, smiling at Hermione. "Come on Ron, let's dance."

"Yes, dancing!" Ginny said, grabbing Harry by the hand and pulling him away from Hermione and Draco.

Hermione didn't miss the look that Ginny gave her that said "I know why you're dressed up and man do you have some explaining to do." Hermione simply nodded at Ginny, who seemed satisfied with that response. Hermione turned her attention back to Draco who now seemed incredibly uncomfortable.

"Would you like to take a walk?" Hermione asked, slowly raising her guard. "Or go join the others."

"Let's go sit outside," Draco replied, holding out his arm.

With a smile, Hermione slipped her arm through his and they walked through the kitchen and out onto the back porch. Draco led Hermione over to a small porch swing and the two of them sat down. Draco cast a warming charm around them and Hermione tucked her legs under her as Draco gently rocked them back and forth. They sat there for a long time, alternating between talking about their lives now and sitting in complete silence, letting the sounds of nature wash over them. After a particularly long silence, Hermione looked over and saw that Draco had his eyes closed. She slid towards him and nudged him in the side, causing his eyes to flutter open.

"You can't fall asleep out here," she said, quietly.

"I wasn't sleeping," Draco replied. "I was thinking."

"What about?" Hermione wanted to know.

"You," Draco told her.

Hermione blushed at his words and looked down at her hands.

"Will you go on a date with me?" Draco asked, his hand tipping her face so she was looking at him. "I understand if the answer is no but -"

"Yes," Hermione answered, cutting him off. "Yes, I'll go on a date with you."

Hermione felt her heart stutter as a huge smile lit up Draco's face.

"Well of course you will," he said, jokingly. "I'm Draco Malfoy."

Hermione rolled her eyes in response, shivering a little as the warming charm faded.

"We should go back inside," Draco told her. "I'm sure by now everyone is wondering where we are."

Draco stood up and held out a hand for Hermione, helping her off the porch swing. Leaving their hands entwined, they walked back across the porch. Just before they reached the door to go back inside, Hermione felt Draco tug her hand. She looked at him, curiously as he pulled her back to him. He leaned down until his lips were millimeters away from hers before he paused. Realizing that he was waiting for it to be her choice, Hermione closed the distance between them without hesitation. The first kiss was light, Hermione pressing her lips to his. But Draco quickly took her under, slanting his mouth over hers, sliding his hands around her to hold her against him. She slid her hands up his back, digging her nails in and holding on as the kiss rocked her. They pulled apart when neither one could breathe any longer and stood, a breath apart, breathing heavily. Draco leaned back down and gave her a chaste kiss, followed by a kiss on the cheek.

"Go on a date with me tomorrow?" he whispered quietly, gazing into Hermione's eyes.

"Well, on Sundays I normally go to visit my parents for breakfast, go grocery shopping, do laundry…" she began but then she stopped herself. "But tomorrow, I can be free after noon."

"After noon it is," Draco said, smiling down at her.

She went up on her tip toes and gave him a quick kiss before pulling away. He linked their fingers together and they walked back into the party.

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A/N: So I started this intending it to be a one shot. But now I'm not so sure I'm done telling this story yet. More to follow?


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: So as you may have noticed, I've changed the story from Complete to In Progress. I have a hazy mental map of where the story is going to go. I'm enjoying where it is and I hope you enjoy it too. Also, I have written other Dramione stories so please check those out! xx

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Hermione and Draco's first date was NOT going well. If you could even say it had started since one half of the pair required to make it a date hadn't shown up yet. Hermione stood in front of the restaurant in Diagon Alley agitatedly tapping her foot. She checked her watch for what felt like the hundredth time. 5:27. Draco was nearly a half hour later. She would give him exactly three more minutes she decided, before she went home and never spoke to him again. Hermione ignored the sympathetic stares of the hosts inside the restaurant who were watching her through the door. She checked her watch again. 5:28. He had exactly two more minutes, she told herself. Two more minutes and then she would leave. She went back to tapping her foot, choosing to stare at her shoes rather than look around. Suddenly, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked up to see Draco moving quickly through the crowd of people. When he reached her he looked…disheveled, she realized. And completely out of breath.

"Thank goodness!" he wheezed, leaning against the side of the building to catch his breath. "That's the first time in centuries that a Malfoy has run."

Hermione stifled a laugh, reminding herself that he was (she checked her watch) exactly 31 minutes late.

"You're late," she told him, for lack of a better thing to say.

"I know, I know," he replied, standing up and moving in front of her. "I am so incredibly sorry. I would have been here but something came up at home."

"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked, immediately concerned.

"Nothing to worry about," Draco answered, moving toward the door of the restaurant and opening it. "I'm just glad you're still here."

Hermione was by no means satisfied with his answer but, figuring she could inquire further during dinner, she stepped through the open door and into the restaurant.

"Malfoy, dinner for 2," Draco told the host. "I apologize for being a bit late."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Malfoy," the host replied, a slight sneer on his face. "When you did not appear at the time of your reservation, you forfeited it."

"Well that's hardly fair!" Hermione exclaimed. "You knew I was here!"

"Miss Granger, I am very sorry," the host said, turning away from Draco and his expression softening. "But we have a policy to adhear to. Perhaps you and your guest that you've chosen to associate yourself with would be more comfortable…elsewhere."

Realizing why they were being turned away, Hermione became angry. But before she could say anything, Draco placed a hand on her arm.

"Granger," he said, quietly. "Let's just go somewhere else."

Hermione looked at Draco, noting that his face looked completely calm but his eyes were pleading. Hermione turned and glared at the host. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

"So should you," the host said back.

Sensing, perhaps, that Hermione was seconds from losing her temper, Draco slid his arm around her back and steered her out of the restaurant. He directed her into an alley way, away from the main part of Diagon Alley. As soon as they stopped walking, Hermione exploded.

"How can you just let that stand?" Hermione asked him, enraged. "He has absolutely no right to treat you that way."

"Yes he does," Draco replied, with a shrug. "I treated plenty of people that way. Seems fair I get it in return."

"No it isn't," Hermione shot back, barely holding back a scream of frustration. "I didn't fight in a war to have prejudice come back around the other way."

"Granger, it is how things are," Draco told her, his voice calm. "You have to understand that. Please, let it go."

"I can't," Hermione replied. "I can't let something like that go. It isn't right."

Hermione watched as a small smile bloomed across Draco's face. "Forever the Gryffindor."

Hermione smiled back. "It just isn't right," she repeated.

"I understand that that's how you feel," Draco answered. "And I agree with you. But let's not let it ruin our night. If tomorrow you're still unhappy, I'll go with you to file a complaint. It can be our second date."

Hermione considered what he had said for a moment before replying, "can't have a second date until you have a first one."

Draco laughed. "You're right, you can't," he said. "Unfortunately, I don't know where we'll be able to go. I'm sure most places are full at this hour."

Hermione thought for a moment before she looked at Draco, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Do you trust me?" she asked.

"I suppose," Draco replied, wary. "Why?"

"I know where we can go for dinner," she told him, holding out her hand. "We can apparate there from here."

Draco slid his hand into hers without hesitation. "Lead the way, Granger."

Hermione closed her eyes and, a moment later, they were in front of her apartment building. Draco looked at her questioningly but Hermione simply walked toward the building, keeping Draco's hand in hers. They walked the three flights of stairs up to her apartment and Hermione led them inside.

"A bit presumptuous of you," Draco drawled. "I don't put out on the first date."

Hermione laughed in response. "I would have assume otherwise," she teased.

"I'm hurt," Draco replied, looking around her apartment.

Hermione went into the kitchen and waited for Draco to realize that's where she had gone. When he appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, he looked confused.

"What are we doing?" Draco asked.

"We're going to cook dinner," Hermione told him with a grin. "You can cook, right?"

"Malfoys don't cook," Draco replied, putting on an air of snootiness. "We pay house elves for that."

Hermione rolled her eyes but made a mental note that he said his family paid their house elves. "Well here, we don't have those," she told him. "Here, we cook for ourselves."

"What exactly are we going to cook?" Draco asked, looking dubiously at the kitchen.

"We're going to make a classic," Hermione told him. "A fine cuisine that should satisfy even the most discerning palates."

"Well then," Draco said, stepping fully into the kitchen. "How can I help?"

Hermione pulled out the pots and pans she needed, directing Draco to what ingredients to pull out of the cabinets. Hermione began to prepare the meal, giving Draco small tasks here and there to help with the cooking. She watched amused as he took every single task she gave him very literally and very seriously. A half hour later, her kitchen looking a little worse for wear than when she cooked alone, Hermione and Draco sat down at her dining room table with their food.

"When you said fine cuisine, this isn't exactly what I thought we would be making," Draco pointed out, pouring Hermione a glass of wine before pouring his own.

"Spaghetti and meatballs is my favorite," Hermione replied, sipping her wine. "It's a crowd pleaser."

"Well I'm certainly pleased," Draco said, his mouth partially full of noodles. "This is excellent. The meatballs, especially."

"Yes," Hermione answered, prodding the misshapen meatballs. "They taste better than they look."

"It's artistic flair," Draco shot back, grinning at her. "Don't be disrespectful."

Hermione laughed in response.

Their meal continued like that, eating their way through their bowls of pasta while making jokes and casual conversation. Once their bowls were empty, Hermione took them into the kitchen and laid them in the sink. She resisted the urge to wash them immediately and instead, took her wine into the living room. She and Draco sank onto her couch, sitting close enough that Draco could drape his arm around Hermione and she turned so that she was facing him. She smiled at Draco who was smiling at her.

"Not bad as far as first dates go," Hermione said, the smile still on her face.

"No, not bad at all," Draco replied. "I'm optimistic that date 2 will go much better."

"Why were you so late?" Hermione asked. "Why didn't you at least let me know you were going to be late."

"I was detained," Draco told her, removing his arm from around her and resting it at his side. "I'm sorry I wasn't there on time."

"Detained where?" Hermione pressed.

"The Manor," Draco replied. "It isn't anything for you to worry about."

Hermione was tempted to push but decided against it.

"Well I hope you know you can talk to me if you need to," Hermione told him.

"I know, Hermione," Draco said, softly.

Without another word, Draco set down his wine glass on the coffee table. He then took Hermione's from her and set hers down too. Hermione stayed still, a small smile tugging at her lips, as Draco moved towards her. He waited for her to nod before lightly pressing his lips to hers. Hermione slid towards Draco but he kept the kiss light, ghosting over her lips. Then, without warning, he deepened the kiss and they plunged. Hermione felt one hand slide up her thigh while the other slid around her back, pulling her towards him. Without even realizing she was doing it, she slid into her lap so she was straddling him and Draco pulled her tightly against him. Hermione slid her hands up his chest, while Draco moved his across her back. She moved to try to get closer to him, the friction causing them both to groan. Hermione gasped for air as Draco pulled away and began sliding kisses down her neck. She pulled his face back to hers and their lips clashed. Draco moved to flip Hermione onto her back on the couch but misjudged the couch and they crashed to the floor.

"Shit, shit, sorry!" Draco gasped, holding himself over Hermione who was laying flat on the floor.

"Ow," Hermione managed, equally out of breath.

Draco then began to laugh. Unable to contain herself, Hermione did too. Draco rested his forehead on Hermione's as he got his breath back and his laughter under control. He gave her a quick kiss before sitting back and pulling her into a sitting position as well.

"I should probably go," Draco said, his reluctance clear in his voice.

"You could stay," Hermione heard herself say, surprising them both.

"I want to do this right," Draco told her, his voice quiet. "I like you, Hermione. We should go slow."

"I like you too," Hermione told him, taking his hand in hers. "If slow is what you want, we can do slow."

Draco smiled at her and leaned in, kissing her once, then twice. He rose to his feet and pulled Hermione up with him. When she was standing in front of him, he simply wrapped his arms around her. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and they stood there in silence. Draco released her and Hermione went up on her toes to give him another kiss. Draco returned the kiss before pulling back. With a smile, he linked their fingers together and they walked to Hermione's front door together. At the door, Draco leaned down and gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek.

"Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Draco."

Hermione closed the door behind him and slid down against it. She couldn't stop the grin from stretching across her face. She couldn't wait for date two.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I am an asshole. I am SO sorry it took me so freaking long to post. Also I re-read the first couple chapters to get my brain back into the story, typos galore. So thank you for your patience - I hope this chapter was worth the wait. xx

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Date two turned into date three, then four, until it was five months later and Hermione stopped counting. Instead, she found herself settled into a different routine that was less, well, routine. Sometimes she would stay at Draco's apartment, sometimes he would stay at hers. Sometimes they spent time with his friends, sometimes they spent time with hers. More often than not, their group of friends spent time together which, to Hermione's surprise, was a great deal of fun. They had argued here and there, mostly when Draco closed off after a visit with his mother, or Hermione missed plans because she had lost track of time at work. But all in all, they were making their new relationship work and Hermione found herself far more content than she had been in a long time.

That contentment, however, was currently overshadowed by nerves. Hermione found herself nervously pacing in front of her fireplace, waiting for Draco to arrive. They were going to go to her parents' house for Sunday breakfast. It would be the first time Hermione was introducing Draco to her parents and, although she had made sure to talk to them about him, she was still anxious for them to meet. He was the first person she was bringing to meet her parents since Ron. She figured she had every right to be nervous. She walked over to the window and stared out at the city, trying to calm her racing mind. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear the Floo go off and Draco step into her living room. Seeing his witch anxiously hugging her body, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. At the feeling of the familiar arms around her, Hermione couldn't help but smile. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Nervous?" Draco asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"A little," Hermione told him, pulling back to look at him.

Draco had dressed in dark jeans and a emerald colored sweater, with a button up underneath the sweater.

"You look very handsome," Hermione said, giving him a smile. "Even though you're wearing Slytherin colors."

"I thought of wearing red," Draco replied, grinning at her. "But I was afraid, and it seems rightly so, that we would match."

Hermione grinned back, running a hand down her maroon-colored dress. "I suppose we would have. Ready to go?"

"I am," Draco answered, sliding his hand into hers.

Hermione squeezed his hand and together they walked out of her apartment, her building, and into the nearby alley. Hermione quickly apparated them to a quiet street near her parents' house and they walked the rest of the way hand in hand. When they reached the Grangers' front door, Draco tugged Hermione's hand, bringing her to a stop. Hermione looked at him curiously. Draco waited for a moment before speaking.

"I'm nervous too," he told her, staring down at the ground.

Hermione felt her heart warm and she stepped close to him, waiting for him to look at her.

"I like you," Hermione said, giving Draco a quick kiss on the lips. "They will too."

Draco leaned down to kiss Hermione but jerked back when the Grangers' front door swung open.

"You're here!" Hermione's mother exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. "Come in, come in."

"Hi Mum," Hermione replied, giving her mother a hug as they crossed into the house and Draco shut the door behind them. "This is Draco."

"Pleased to meet you ma'am," Draco said, holding out his hand.

"You as well!" Mrs. Granger replied happily, ignoring Draco's hand and instead enveloping him in a tight hug.

Draco awkwardly patted her on the back until she released him.

"Come in, come in," Mrs. Granger said, moving into the home. "Breakfast is just about done."

"Where's Dad?" Hermione asked, following her mother. "He's usually the one who answers the door so you don't have to leave the food unattended."

"Sit, sit," Mrs. Granger responded, pointedly ignoring her daughter's question and instead steering Hermione and Draco to the dining room table. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea? Juice?"

"Mum?" Hermione asked, as she and Draco sat down at the table. "What's going on?"

Before Mrs. Granger could answer, Hermione's father entered the room.

"Dad!" Hermione exclaimed, rising from the table and giving her father a hug.

Draco also had gotten up and moved towards Mr. Granger.

"So this is THE Draco Malfoy?" Mr. Granger asked, glaring at Draco and tightening one arm around Hermione. "I remember hearing a great deal about you when my daughter was younger."

"Nice to meet you sir," Draco replied, awkwardly holding his hand out to shake Mr. Granger's hand.

Mr. Granger merely glared in response.

"Dad," Hermione murmured. "I told you, Draco's changed."

To Hermione's horror, however, her father wasn't done.

"Do you know how many times you made my daughter cry?" Mr. Granger demanded. "How often she came home doubting who she was and what she could do because of you?"

Hermione opened her mouth but Draco held up his hand to stop her.

"Mr. Granger, you have every right to dislike me," Draco replied, calmly. "I make no excuse for how I treated your daughter when we were in school together. I have apologized to her for it and I will apologize to you. But I can promise you, I will never treat your daughter that way again."

"Dad, please," Hermione said, quietly, moving away from her father and ranging herself next to Draco. "Give him a chance."

Mr. Granger stared at Draco coldly, even as Hermione slid her hand into Draco's. The silence in the room was shattered by Mrs. Granger.

"Why don't we all just sit down to eat?" she said, giving her husband a look. "There's no reason we can't enjoy a nice meal."

When no one moved, Mrs. Granger gave her husband another look, which resulted in him mumbling but sitting down at the head of the table. Draco sat down opposite him, with Hermione and Mrs. Granger taking the remaining seats. Mrs. Granger cheerfully served up blueberry pancakes, bacon, and potatoes. The four ate in silence, with Mrs. Granger and Hermione taking turns trying to start a conversation, only to be met with more silence. At the end of the painfully awkward meal, Draco spoke for the first time, thanking Mrs. Granger for the meal.

"Oh, I'm glad you liked it," Mrs. Granger replied, beaming. "It's so much fun to do this every week. Do you like to cook?"

"I'm sure he has people who do that for him," Mr. Granger chimed in, earning a withering look from both Mrs. Granger and Hermione.

"I can't cook," Draco replied, avoiding Mr. Granger's glare and directing his answer at Mrs. Granger. "But I recently learned out to make spaghetti and meatballs."

Hermione smiled at Draco and reached over to take his hand. Mr. Granger abruptly stood from the table, jerking the table, and causing Hermione to let go of Draco's hand.

"I'm sure Mr. Malfoy has somewhere to be," Mr. Granger said. "Hermione, would you like to see him out?"

"I think we'll both go," Hermione replied, the hurt evident in her voice.

Hermione rose from the table and Draco rose as well.

"No," Draco said, looking at Hermione. "Your dad is right, I should go and you should stay. Mrs. Granger, thank you again."

Draco moved quickly out of the dining room and toward the front door. Hermione shot her father an angry look before following after Draco.

"Draco, wait," she called out, catching up to him at the front door. "I'll go with you. My father could use some time to cool down."

"Granger, I know how important your parents are to you," Draco replied. "I think you should stay and talk to them. Now. I'll see you later."

"Draco-," Hermione protested, but he shook his head.

He gave her a quick kiss and walked out of the house. Hermione stood in the doorway, watching as Draco apparated away, torn between what she should do. Deciding he was right, she slammed the front door and marched back into the house. Hermione stormed into the living room and found her parents still sitting at the table.

"What was that?" Hermione asked her father, angrily.

"Honey, your father just loves you so much that he's worried," Mrs. Granger said, soothingly. "He doesn't want to see you get hurt."

"The only person who is hurting me is him!" Hermione shouted, her temper rising. "How could you treat him like that?"

"How could you be with him?" Mr. Granger shot back. "He tormented you for years. His family quite literally tortured you. Has he given you some kind of potion? Put you under some kind of spell?"

"I told you, I keep telling you, he has changed," Hermione retorted. "He isn't the same person he was then. His family has no association anymore with the people who hurt me. He's done everything he can to earn a second chance."

"People don't change that much," Mr. Granger, scoffed. "It's impossible. How can you even be sure of how he feels about you? Or how you feel about him?"

"Because I know him," Hermione replied. "Because he doesn't mind that I get my breakfast from the same place every day. Because when he drags me out of my comfort zone, he knows he can't give me any forewarning or I'll panic. Because he was nervous as hell but still came here today, knowing how important my family is to me. Because I - "

Hermione paused as the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt her heart start to race and her blood start to rush. Mrs. Granger placed her hand over Mr. Granger's and Mr. Granger's face softened.

"Because you love him," Mrs. Granger said, squeezing her husband's hand. "You've in love with him."

"I am," Hermione whispered, holding a hand to her beating heart. "I'm in love with him."

"Well now that's something different entirely," Mr. Granger said, quietly.

He rose from the table and walked over to Hermione, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Mr. Granger murmured. "I am so sorry. I love you."

"I love you too, Dad," Hermione replied. "And I forgive you. But I'm not the only one you owe an apology to."

"Why don't you see if Draco can come back for dinner a night this week?" Mrs. Granger offered as Hermione and her father separated. "We can give this another go and your father can apologize."

"I'll ask him," Hermione said, smiling at both of her parents. "I need to go find him."

"Go ahead," Mr. Granger told her with a nod.

"I'll let you know about dinner," Hermione called, as she rushed out of the house.

She quickly made her way to the quiet street where she could apparate safely. She first went to her own apartment but Draco wasn't there. She then apparated to his apartment but he wasn't there either. Hermione stood in Draco's living room, trying to figure out where he had gone when she noticed Floo powder on the floor near his fireplace. He must have gone to the Manor, Hermione thought, knowing that his mother's home was one of the only places he used Floo powder rather than apparating because of the wards on the property. Hermione hesitated only for a moment before taking a deep breath and stepping into the fireplace. A flash of green smoke and a moment later, Hermione found herself in a large sitting room filled with dark, ornate furniture and marble statues. She stepped out of the fireplace and nearly ran over a house elf.

"Hello miss!" The house elf squeaked. "I am Olive. How can I be of assistance?"

"Oh, um, hello!" Hermione replied, taken a bit by surprise. "I'm Hermione Granger. I'm looking for Draco."

"Right this way Miss Granger," Olive said with a small bow. "Master Draco is in the formal living room."

Hermione followed the quickly moving house elf, trying to wrap her head around the fact that there was a living room more formal than the room she was currently in. She followed the house elf through several corridors until she was completely turned around. The house elf stopped abruptly in front of a set of large wooden double doors. The house elf snapped his fingers and the doors opened, revealing a massive, brightly lit room with light colored furniture. Hermione was still taking in the room when the house elf announced her presence.

"I present Miss Granger for Master Draco," Olive squeaked before disappearing with a pop.

Hermione easily found Draco but quickly noticed he was standing stiffly next to a high back chair.

"Granger," Draco said, tightly without moving from the chair he was standing next to.

"I'm sorry to intrude," Hermione said, moving into the room. "But I needed to talk to you."

"I'll meet you at your apartment," Draco replied, his gaze shifting to the chair next to him. "Now is not a good time."

Hermione cocked her head, confused, but before she could respond, she heard the the house elf reappear behind her.

"Master Kingsley Shacklebolt," Olive proclaimed before disappearing again.

Hermione turned, surprised to in fact see the Minister of Magic himself standing in the doorway.

"Hermione," Kingsley greeted her warmly. "I didn't know you would be joining us for this."

"She isn't," Draco cut in, finally stepping away from the chair and walking over to Hermione. He placed his hand on her lower back and stated, "Hermione was just leaving."

"I'm sorry, what is 'this'?" Hermione asked, looking from Draco to Kingsley. "Is Draco in some sort of trouble?"

"Granger, I'll tell you later," Draco said, quietly. "If you'll please just go."

"She should stay," came a voice from the chair Draco had been standing next to.

Hermione watched as Narcissa Malfoy rose from the chair, her blonde hair flowing down her back and her black robes flowing to the floor.

"I believe Ms. Granger has as much of a stake in this as anyone," she said. "And it's about time I got to meet her properly."

"Mother," Draco replied, sharply.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" Hermione asked, looking from Kingsley to Draco to Narcissa. "Anyone?"

"Why don't we all sit down," Narcissa answered, gesturing toward the open chairs near her.

There was a pause before Hermione moved determinedly toward the loveseat directly across from Narcissa's chair. She sat down and looked expectantly at Draco and Kingsley. With a small chuckle, Kingsley sat down in a chair next to Narcissa's and Draco reluctantly sat down next to Hermione. Kingsley looked to Narcissa who nodded.

"Very well," Kingsley said. "The last of the restrictions have been added to your wards. The house is ready as are we."

"I'm sorry," Hermione cut in. "Ready for what?"

"Lucius is coming home," Narcissa replied, her tone sympathetic. "About a year ago, he aided the Ministry by providing information about a group that intended to pick up where the Dark Lord had left off. Several people were apprehended and prosecuted as a result of the information Lucius provided and his reward was he would be permitted to serve the rest of his sentence on house arrest."

"How long?" Hermione asked quietly, staring directly at Draco. "How long have you known that your father was going to be released?"

When Draco didn't respond, Hermione directed her question to Kingsley and Narcissa. "How long?" Hermione repeated.

"We put everything into motion about five months ago," Kingsley told her. "He will be brought to the Manor in about an hour."

Hermione sat for a moment, absorbing everything that had been revealed to her. She looked at Draco and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Draco met her gaze.

"Granger," Draco said, quietly, reaching for Hermione's hand.

Hermione pulled back and quickly stood.

"I should go," she said. "There's no reason for me to be here. Kingsley, nice to see you. Mrs. Malfoy, it was nice to see you as well. Goodbye."

At that, Hermione rushed out of the room, feeling the tears beginning to leak out of her eyes.

"Hermione," she heard Draco call out after. "Hermione, wait."

Hermione, however, didn't stop. She ran through the maze of hallways, trying to find anything that looked familiar. As she ran, she searched for anything that looked remotely like where she had come from. Spotting a door that looked relatively familiar, she threw the door open, only to find herself in the last place she ever thought she'd be again. She saw the scratches on the floor, the chandelier dangling from the ceiling, and her hand flew to her arm where Bellatrix had marked her. She stood, frozen, until she felt hands drag her out of the room.

"Damn it, Hermione," Draco yelled, spinning her around to look at him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I have to go," Hermione said, the tears freely flowing down her cheeks. "I thought I recognized the door. Turns out I did. But not because it was the door I came out of when I got here."

Realization dawned on Draco about what room she'd stumbled into and he quickly shut the door. He then wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Hermione, just come with me," he said, resigned.

"No," Hermione said, pulling away from him and staring at him, channeling her anger to avoid the tears. "Draco, what the hell? Your father is being released from prison? And you didn't tell me?"

"I know, I know," Draco replied, running his hand through his hair. "I should have told you. I just, I didn't know how to feel, I didn't know how you would feel. I just didn't know what to do."

"Talking to me is what you should have done," Hermione told him. "This has been going on the entire time we've been together, we've had fights about this without me even knowing what we were fighting about. All you had to do was tell me."

"I know that," Draco answered, his tone conveying his frustration. "But what was I supposed to say? Hey, the man who thought you should be eradicated is moving back in with my mom, we should all do dinner sometime?"

"Yes," Hermione shot back. "I would have taken that. I would have taken anything, any indication that you trusted me enough to tell me about this. That you believed in us enough to tell me so we could deal with it together."

"This isn't something we can do together, don't you see that?" Draco shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "My father is my problem. I don't want you to be anywhere near him. It isn't your place."

"You made sure it wasn't my place," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly cold as the anger left her. "I'm all in with you, Draco. Willing to stand up for us to my dad, all in. Are you?"

"Granger," Draco replied, looking now as weary as she felt. "I can't right now. I just…I can't."

"Okay," Hermione said, stepping away from Draco as she felt her heart shatter. "Okay. Olive?"

"Yes miss!" Olive asked, appearing in an instant.

"Please show me to an apparition point," Hermione requested, politely.

"Hermione, you'll have to walk for a mile before you can get outside of the wards to apparate," Draco told her. "Just Floo back to my apartment. I'll be back there later. We can talk."

"An apparition point, Olive," Hermione repeated, ignoring Draco. "Please."

Olive looked at Draco and, when he nodded, Olive began walking quickly down one of the hallways.

"Goodbye, Draco," Hermione said, quietly.

She turned and followed Olive. She forced herself to continue putting one foot in front of the other, hoping Draco would come after her but realizing with every step that she took, that he wasn't going to. When they arrived at the apparition point, Hermione thanked Olive and apparated to the alley near her apartment. She quickly walked the short distance to her building and made it into her apartment before she collapsed onto the floor just inside her front door and broke down and cried.

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A/N: Don't hate me for the cliffhanger, final chapter to follow shortly.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: The final chapter. Again, I apologize that it took me so damn long to finish this story. But I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. xx

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Hermione didn't know how long she sat on the floor. She stayed there until she ran out of tears to cry, picking herself up on the floor and moving to the couch. She couldn't bring herself to go into her bedroom. Instead, she took a blanket from the back of the couch, wrapped it around her body, and fell into a restless sleep. When she awoke again it was just beginning to get dark outside. Her eyes felt swollen, her throat was raw, and she had a terrible headache. Hermione forced herself to get up and she downed a glass of water in her kitchen. She was standing in her kitchen when she heard her Floo come to life and Ginny's head appeared. Ginny's face looked alarmed at first but then when she saw Hermione in the kitchen, she looked relieved.

"Can I come through?" Ginny asked.

Not trusting her voice, Hermione nodded.

Ginny's head disappeared for a second before she walked through the Floo. Hermione had just enough time to set down her glass before Ginny enveloped her in a hug.

"Pansy called us," Ginny said, tightening her grip around Hermione. "After Narcissa called her. What happened?"

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but simply burst into tears. Ginny guided Hermione back to the couch and sat down, cradling Hermione as she cried. Hermione barely registered Harry's head appearing in her Floo. She felt Ginny shake her head no, but Hermione sat up.

"He can come," Hermione said, her voice hoarse.

A moment later, Harry walked through the Floo, sitting down on the opposite side of Hermione, wrapping his arms around her as well.

"We're here," Harry told her, his voice strong. "Whenever you're ready to tell us what happened, we're here."

Hermione absorbed the love and strength from her friends, drawing on that when she forced herself to sit up.

"I think Draco and I are done," Hermione rasped, feeling more tears burn at her eyes.

"What happened?" Ginny asked, rubbing Hermione's back comfortingly.

Hermione explained everything that had happened, pausing to choke back tears every once in a while. When she was done, she left out a deep sigh.

"So that's where we are," she finished, with a small shrug. "I'm in love with him and he doesn't love me."

"He loves you," Ginny said, fiercely. "He might have his head up his ass right now but that man loves you."

"I agree with Ginny," Harry told her. "I think he made a massive mistake in not telling you about his father but I do think he loves you."

"Well it hardly matters now," Hermione replied. "He made it clear he wasn't willing to fight for us. He didn't even try."

"Maybe just give him some space," Ginny told her. "He'll realize that he's lost without you."

"Ron and I would have probably died with you," Harry added. "He'll come around."

Hermione shrugged in response.

"What can we do?" Ginny asked. "Ron was threatening to go and kick his ass before we got here, do you want us to let him?"

"No," Hermione replied, with a half-hearted laugh. "I think I'm going to just go to bed."

"Do you want us to stay?" Harry asked. "We can stay."

"I think I just want to be alone," Hermione told them. "But thank you for coming over."

"Okay," Ginny said, getting up from the couch. "But if you need anything, let us know."

"We love you, Hermione," Harry told her, giving her a kiss on the forehead before standing as well.

"Thank you," Hermione answered. "I love you guys too."

Hand in hand, Ginny and Harry left her living room and Hermione was alone again. Drained, she wrapped herself in the blanket again and drifted off to sleep.

She awoke to the sound of her alarm going off in her room. She shifted, waiting for Draco to turn off the alarm. The continued sound of the alarm brought her back to the present. Draco wasn't there. For a split second, she had forgotten her heartbreak and now it was back in full force. Using her wand, Hermione shut off the alarm and burrowed back into the blankets. She contemplated only for a second before getting up. She was Hermione Jean Granger. She would NOT allow a man to derail her day. She showered, dressed, and made her way to work. She walked directly by the bakery and went straight to her desk. She worked hard the entire day, throwing herself into her work, and eating next to nothing. At 6pm, she walked back to her apartment and, after changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt, found herself standing in front of her open fridge, unable to find the energy to cook. She shut the fridge and opened the freezer, grateful to find a pint of her favorite ice cream inside. She took out the ice cream, grabbed a spoon, and sat down on the couch, wrapped up in the blanket.

She was about halfway through the pint when there was a knock at her door. Hermione debated for a second then decided that, whoever it was, would likely go away. But she was wrong. The knocking became more insistent so Hermione set down her ice cream and, wrapped in the blanket, shuffled over to her door. Cursing herself for not having the peephole on the door fixed, she kept her wand in her left hand and opened the door with her right.

Never in a million years would she have expected who was on the other side of the door.

"Good evening Ms. Granger, may I come in?"

Hermione didn't even manage a verbal response, she just opened the door wider allowing Lucius Malfoy into her apartment. He walked into her living room and stood in the center. Hermione followed him. She kept a tight grip on her wand and found her voice.

"I thought you were on house arrest," she said. "What are you doing here?"

"I received…special permission to come here," Lucius replied.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, confused.

"I have exactly five minutes to speak to you so I'm going to make this quick," Lucius answered, ignoring her question. "I understand that you are in a relationship with my son, yes?"

"I was," Hermione replied, when he didn't continue speaking. "I'm not anymore, which I'm sure you know. So if you're here to rub that in my face, I suggest that you leave."

"To the contrary Ms. Granger," Lucius continued. "I am here to ask for your assistance."

"My assistance?" Hermione repeated, confused. "What could you possibly want from me?"

"You see my son is distraught," Lucius replied. "Because he thinks that he has to choose between the woman he loves and his family."

"Doesn't he?" Hermione asked, cautiously. "I can't imagine you approve of your son dating a mudblood."

"I admit, it is very difficult for me to understand the relationship between the two of you," Lucius told her. "And I cannot pretend that I am thrilled by it."

Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Lucius pressed on.

"But Ms. Granger, I had a great deal of time to myself. It allowed me to do something that I have not done for a very long time – think for myself. To think about what truly mattered to me. At the end of the day, it's my family and I told myself that I would do whatever it took to get back to my family. I will not lose my family."

"I don't understand," Hermione said.

"Quite simply Ms. Granger, I believe if he had to choose, at the end of the day my son would choose you," Lucius said, matter-of-factly. "And I won't lose my son. I'm willing to try Ms. Granger. I want to get to know you. I want to change my mind, the way my wife and son have changed theirs. So the assistance that I ask is this – will you help me change?"

Hermione gaped at him, completely in shock.

"Ms. Granger?" Lucius asked. "I'm afraid I'm running out of time."

"Yes," Hermione stammered. "Yes, yes of course. Yes."

"Will you come back to the Manor with me?" Lucius questioned. "I believe it will go a long way to my son believing me if you're there to corroborate our conversation."

"Okay," Hermione said, still in awe.

"Might I suggest that you do something with your appearance?" Lucius said, his tone a bit snooty. "You cannot go out like that."

"I'll just be a moment," Hermione replied, rushing into her bedroom. Forcing herself to keep calm, Hermione quickly changed her clothes, and putting up her hair. She emerged a minute later and found another surprise.

"Harry?" she asked, perplexed to see her friend speaking to Lucius Malfoy.

"Ron and George can only scramble the wards for another minute," Harry replied, looking to Lucius. "We need to go, now."

Lucius linked his arm through Harry's and Harry held out his hand to Hermione. Hermione took Harry's hand. He gave her hand a squeeze before Hermione felt the familiar tug of a portkey. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she, Lucius, and Harry were in the formal living room she had been in the day before.

"Mr. Potter, thank you," Lucius said. "Ms. Granger, if you don't mind waiting here, I'll send my son in as soon as I'm done talking to him."

Lucius swept out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him, and Hermione turned to Harry.

"Hi?" she said, questioningly.

"Hey," Harry replied, grinning. "So I'm guessing you have a question or two?"

"Yeah," Hermione answered, with a small laugh. "What the heck is going on?"

"I helped transport Lucius from Azkaban back to Malfoy Manor," Harry explained. "When we got here, Draco was waiting with a packed bag and Narcissa was crying. Lucius barely got to say hello before Draco told him he was in love with you and Lucius could either get on board or get the hell out of his life. Narcissa stunned Malfoy and I left the room."

"Merlin," Hermione breathed, trying to calm her now rapidly beating heart.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "So a bit later, I'm summonsed back here and Lucius is asking me how to get him to you. After he explained to me why, I got Ron and George to help me figure out a way to get him in and out without him violating the terms of his release."

"That's…wow," was all Hermione could find to say.

Before Harry could answer, the door to the room flew open and a desperate Draco Malfoy appeared in the doorway. Harry barely managed to get out of the way before Draco ran to Hermione, banding his arms around her in a tight hug. Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around him as well and they stood there hugging, Hermione with her face buried in Draco's chest. When they separated, Hermione realized they were alone. Draco cleared his throat, drawing Hermione's attention back to him.

"Hermione, I am so sorry," Draco said, taking Hermione's hands in his. "I should have told you what was going on with my father. I know that the two of you reached some kind of understanding but I was ready to stand up to him, I was ready to walk away. I couldn't let him be the reason I didn't get to be with you. Can you ever forgive me?"

Hermione let Draco's words sink in before she answered. "Yes," she told him, watching the relief wash over his face. "Yes I can forgive you."

Draco released Hermione's hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her toward him as he kissed her. Hermione slid her arms around his neck, arching into him and kissing him deeply. When they pulled apart, Draco rested his forehead against hers.

"There's something else I've been keeping from you," Draco said, lifting his head to look directly into Hermione's eyes.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, a nervous pit settling into her stomach.

"I need you to know that I've been keeping this to myself for a long time and I don't want you to feel like you need to say it back but…"

Hermione smiled as she listened to him ramble, the pit in her stomach being replaced with hope blooming in her chest.

"…so if you could just not react if you don't think you'll react in a good way or…"

"Draco," Hermione cut him off. "Just say whatever you want to say."

Draco stared into Hermione's eyes, silver meeting brown, and taking a deep breath, he said, "Hermione Granger, I am so completely in love with you."

Hermione went up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before replying, "I love you, too, Draco Malfoy."

"You love me?" Draco repeated, as a grin spread across his face. "You love me."

"Yes," Hermione replied, grinning as well. "I love you."

"I love you," Draco said again, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist and swinging her around the room.

Hermione laughed as he spun her, happily pressing her lips to his when he returned her feet to the ground.

"So now what?" Hermione asked, her arms around Draco's neck while his rested around her waist. "Where do we go from here?"

Draco smiled down at her and said, "back to our routine."


End file.
